Let's see, where was I? Oh yeah. I was slowly making zig-zagging headway with various elimination diets regarding my various allergies and autoimmune issues. Also, there was some recent talk behind the scenes about skaters and their training and/or weight loss goals for the upcoming training season. All of the above, plus a couple of 20 minute flat skating sessions this week that left me gasping for oxygen, has prompted me to try my own 30 Day healthy eating Challenge. I'm hoping to make it past day 4 this time.

Just a quick reminder that ISU's website streams some speed skating, depending on broadcast blackouts. As I write, the long track speed skating men's 500m is on. Soon the short track may be available too.

To check schedules, you can use the following site, but be careful with any links there and don't download .exe files or fall for ads which mention you don't have the right codec or video player. Check your downloads directory after you're finished, too! Having said that, sometimes you can find feeds for events that no USA broadcaster has purchased.

I finally made it out to Greensboro Country Park for the first skating after Carolina Century. So that means I've not skated much since Athens to Atlanta, as the weeks between the two events are mostly about getting the CC ready. How would all that non-skating affect me?

Well, first off, my heart rate when I put the strap on was 130! Now, I've seen in the 120s for an event where I'm in a hurry or have a lot of responsibility, lots of people in town, all that. Most of the time it's under 100 getting started at Country Park.

I got there without much time before dark, so I set minor goals. I just did a couple of laps (5k), and really was only out to enjoy it. What I noticed was:

Here's a well-done if brief local piece of writing from Florida, where they are mighty proud of their inline champion, Brittany Bowe. If I have it right, she was at the US Cup when I was there, skating for Verducci (she, not me, ha!)**. I may even have some photos of her skating with the Verducci gals, not sure (might have a photo of Heather Richardson from a US10K too..

Thus, like many inliners, Bowe must have figured out there's not much glory in being at the top of a non-Olympic sport, and why not give it a go. (I think she may have made an attempt at cycling some time back too.) Anyway, she and High Point's Heather Richardson had raced plenty, and seeing Richardson's success surely was a factor, and likely made it easier to make the decision and follow an example for the switch over to indoor long track ice speed skating.

This could be a powerful duo for the USA and they could be ambassadors for inline everywhere.

A few years ago I had to shake things up as the old joys were no more....at least for a while. Thanks to three lovely young skater friendgirls, I started skating, and it turned out I was quickly more addicted than they were. The Year of Skating Dangerously saved my joy. To honor that time, I present: http://roadskater.net/rsn/photos/index.htm.

I was looking to create something other than what I had tried before, which had all dried up. So I bought a cheap digital camera and decided I would take photos and edit them and post them mostly without comment (hard for me!). The collection grew to 31,000 photos! Before September 11, airline flights were cheaper than the gasoline to drive some places. I had free places to land on floors. I went. I took photos. I edited them.

Shopping in Bournemouth today and I notice women of all ages from 18 to 60 all dressed in similar clothing styles. There are no "Juniors" or "Misses" sections in the clothing stores. It's all mixed. Consequently, women my age (45) aren't doomed to safe outfits like twinsets and slacks or to certain stores. I saw a £100 pair of bright blue Doc Martens I would've liked to buy, and a whole load of other outfits I'd like to wear. But I'd only be able to wear them here because if I wore them in Georgia I'd be accused of being a cougar.

Hoping to dodge the showers tomorrow and head over to Old Harry Rocks (Handfast Point).

Computer time is limited this time around but I hope to note more pseudo-foreign observations soon.

Per Bill Begg on the Bont forum, this year's Berlin Marathon had a total of over FORTY-EIGHT THOUSAND (!!!) participants! This spread out over skaters, hand cyclists/wheel chair athletes and runners. About 6,800 were skaters. Not too shabby! And they had beautiful weather this year as opposed to the driving rain they had in recent years. The skate portion of this event happened last Saturday, Sept. 29th.

Here's a pretty good video of the final few KMs, of eventual winner Ewen Fernandez of France, and Bart Swings of Belgium, showing the beauty of this sport.

We've been doing the Athens to Atlanta roadskate since 1999, and it helps us get out and skate all year, knowing we need to be ready to skate 87 miles in early October. If you're interested in rolling, it's not too late. Check A2A.net.

I'm not 100% sugar-, corn- or potato-free, and those foods don't fall under Paleo or Primal. I also eat dairy: cheese, eggs, milk, butter.

I wanted to write a follow up to my previous posts about my long-term dietary changes and how they are affecting my ultra-cardio lifestyle. Sorry, but I love to skate! All day if possible! It makes me nice! We're not gunning it the whole time so it's all perfectly doable without too much physical depletion.